Northern Israeli settlers expressed anger and exhaustion Saturday morning after Hezbollah launched consecutive rocket barrages from Lebanon overnight.
Sirens sounded in the Meron area around 6 a.m. Saturday, and the Israeli occupation military claimed shortly afterward that it had intercepted a missile fired from Lebanon. It was the first time sirens were activated in the area since a so-called ceasefire between ‘Israel’ and Lebanon took effect on April 17.
Earlier, sirens sounded in Kiryat Shmona around 1:30 a.m. Additional rocket alerts followed about half an hour later. In all, Hezbollah fired 10 to 15 rockets overnight in four waves, the occupation military said, claiming that all were intercepted except one that struck Kiryat Shmona.
Video from Kiryat Shmona shows a Hezbollah rocket launched in overnight impacting in the northern Israeli city.
Sirens also sounded in the border towns of Metula, Margaliot and Misgav Am. Some of the later launches were preceded by only a few seconds’ warning. Around 3:30 a.m., a rocket hit Kiryat Shmona. The occupation military said there were no injuries and that two projectiles fired from Lebanon were intercepted in that barrage.
“Ceasefire in Name Only”
Ynet Israeli media outlet cited Kiryat Shmona officials as saying that overnight barrages caused heavy damage and exposed a “ceasefire that does not exist.”
It quoted a spokesman for the Kiryat Shmona municipality, who filmed a statement to residents from the impact site.
“It is 4 a.m. Again, barrages on Kiryat Shmona,” Doron Shnaper said. “We are after a barrage of 10 launches from Lebanon. Nine were intercepted and one rocket fell right here in the city center. There is very heavy damage to stores and businesses. Fortunately, there are no physical injuries. It was late and the businesses were closed.”
The spokesman urged Israeli settlers to stay near protected areas and said municipal crews were inspecting impact sites. “Is this what a ceasefire looks like?” he said. “Residents entering safe rooms and shelters, businesses and stores destroyed? This is the collapse of the ceasefire. A ceasefire that does not exist. There is no ceasefire — not in Kiryat Shmona and not in the north. Only in Beirut and Lebanon. Someone should take responsibility for this. We are not sitting ducks.”
Ynet also quoted a business owner whose property was damaged, as saying the sirens woke his family. “We observe Shabbat, but the sirens jolted us awake, the whole house,” Dror Mosseri said. “A few moments later, we realized it had fallen here near us. The force was enormous. I thought it was in the yard, in the backyard. It is heartbreaking.”
Source: Israeli media (translated and edited by Al-Manar English Website)